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Show The Tanners Embrace Mormonism The presence of miracles in its truthfulness or divinity. Thus, 57 church is thought to indicate Scraps of Biography describes in diseased leg, and the number and emi a detail the seriousness of the nence of the physicians who examined him and their report of his condition. of makes the miracle more im This, course, hopeless and a correspondingly case for the portant, stronger divinity of the church." Elizabeth tells leg leg for several a much months, had more calm story. John had had a sore when he went out and carry his and many thought he would to ride pillow because of the pain, The elders came and after administering to him com manded him to arise and walk, which he did, and he never used his crutches after that. She says nothing about the clock striking eleven and John walking three-quarters of a mile to the lake to be baptized. In fact, both she and Nathan indicate they waited until the next day before being baptized, and the author wonders where Scraps of Biography and the "Journal History" got their versions of the story. on a lose his foot. A miracle is largely what the observer makes of it; some of the were impressed and joined the church, but many more did not. The believer has no trouble accepting miracles, but the skeptic prefers some rational explanation. Nathan gives the impression that with the entrance of the Tanner family into the Mormon church, sides were drawn among their neighbors and those who were on the Lord's side were glad to gather Tanner neighbors with their friends. This could indicate that John lost many of his was no longer considered in the favorable light it had been before the appearance of the Mormon elders. Whether the miracle of healing had something to do with former friends, and the family this is not known. A more interesting question than that of the validity of the miracle in the healing of John Tanner's leg, is that of his conversion. What was responsible for his conversion? A number of writers have indicated that he came into the church as a result of the healing. This does John Tanner an injustice. It has been stated that people who are converted by a miracle need an occasional miracle to keep them in the church. The Great Teacher said, "These signs shall follow them that believe.?" The author believes that the preaching of the dedicated and inspired missionaries, together with the reading of the Book of Mor The mon, were the important ingredients of John's conversion. |
